A sacred selection

The Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale is chugging along to the sound of the grumblings from vendors at the famous Newmarket complex, but there are as many buyers also struggling to find a bargain in this difficult market.

The high-profile mares are selling for “the right money”, while there are many mares being culled from the big farms that even the small breeders are finding unattractive at a time when the yearling sale market is depressed.

Victorian breeder Andy Calvert is one buyer who can claim to have purchased wisely. Calvert, of Kornong Stud near Streatham, nearly an hour west of Ballarat, today paid $37,000 for Balalaika, a 9YO Stakes-placed King Of Kings (IRE) mare from the former top-class, multiple Group-winning mare Love Of Mary (by Zeditave from Morlin Maid (NZ), by Sir Tristram (IRE).

Balalaika is in foal to Exceed And Excel (by Danehill (USA)) to a November 10 cover. She’s a frugal buy, as Exceed And Excel’s service fee in 2009 was $110,000 (inc. GST).

But Calvert had other reasons than the good value of Balalaika to put up his hand. He is the breeder of the world champion Hong Kong sprinter Sacred Kingdom, who is by Encosta De Lago from Courtroom Sweetie, a sister to Love Of Mary.

In fact, Balalaika is very closely related to Sacred Kingdom, because her sire King Of Kings is a son of the great Sadler’s Wells (USA) (Northern Dancer-Fairy Bridge, by Bold Reason), a brother to Encosta De Lago’s sire Fairy King (USA).

Balalaika, who was placed as a 2YO in the Listed Waltzing Lily Handicap at Flemington, was sold as part of Darley’s annual reduction of mares. Her first foal, Domas (g 2005, by Encosta De Lago) is a winner, while her next two, by Commands and Lonhro, died. She has a 2008 colt by Lonhro, retained by Darley, and a 2009 weanling colt by Dubai Destination (USA).

Thankfully for Inglis and some of the lucky vendors, Patinack Farm has been bullish in its buying of the quality mares. So far it has picked up international champion mare Sun Classique (in foal to Oasis Dream) for $2m; Group 1 winner  Bel Mer (in foal to More Than Ready) for $1.05m; Group 1 winner Serious Speed (in foal to Al Maher) for $900,000; Readydor (maiden) for $520,000; Stakes winner She Will Be Loved (in foal to Encosta De Lago) for $500,000; and the smart Olonana (maiden) for $475,000.

The buying spree is obviously a concerted attempt by Patinack’s Nathan Tinker to concentrate more on quality than quantity – he tried to do both when he burst on the yearling sale and broodmare-buying scene in 2008.

Patinack is going through another restructure – Tinkler wants to get out of the stallion-standing business, which is why his Aberdeen farm – where Casino Prince, Husson, Murtajill and Wonderful World stand – is on the market.

Tinkler bought a copious quantity of mares to support, and in some cases prop up, these stallions in their initial seasons, and he realises that continuing to follow that strategy in their third breeding season (in the case of Casino Prince, Wonderful World and Husson) is fraught with economic danger. It’s interesting that he didn’t want to downgrade the value of Casino Prince and Murtajill, as he withdrew all his mares in foal to these two stallions from the Easter sale.

Pictured: Bel Mer at the Newmarket sale complex.

Breeding lines:

Sun Classique (ch m 2003, Fuji Kiseki (JPN)–Elfenjer, by Last Tycoon (IRE))

Bel Mer (b m 2004, Bel Esprit–Drop Anchor, by At Talaq (USA))

Serious Speed (ch m 2004, Royal Academy (USA)–Twitter, by Kendor (FR))

Readyor (ch f 2006, More Than Ready (USA)–Satyric, by Danehill (USA))

She Will Be Loved (b or br m 2003, Strategic–Katie O’Neill (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ))

Olonana (b or br m 2005, More Than Ready (USA)–Arkadina, by Myocard (NZ))